Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Schrödinger lottery chamber

Bringing quantum theory to the people.
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We place all the lottery balls on a shelf in a steel chamber. Each ball has a trapdoor beneath it. The trapdoor is triggered by a tiny bit of radioactive substance. This bit of substance is so small that it could decay in one hour one, but also, with equal probability, it might not. If any atom decays, the trapdoor is activated and that ball falls into the chamber below.

The first 6 balls to fall are the winning balls, but because they are in the steel chamber, we can't tell which balls they are without opening the box.

Now, technically, everyone who has entered has won and lost simultaneously.

No money is handed out, all money is donated to a foundation for quantum physics research, but at least for one night, the general population understand the basics of superposition.

Flux, Feb 10 2005

Similar but different... Quantum_20lottery
I think this idea is far enough away from my idea. [Flux, Feb 10 2005]

Different Schrodinger_27s_20Lottery
[Flux, Feb 10 2005]

Schrödinger's Fridge http://www.angryflower.com/schrod.gif
Best explanation of quantum phys I have ever seen. [photojunkie, Feb 10 2005]

Schrödinger's Toaster Schr_f6dinger_27s_20Toaster
Shameless...but assuming you might want something to nibble on while you watch Dale Winton trying to explain this idea. [zen_tom, Feb 10 2005]

[link]






       It scares me what an awesome Idea that is.
photojunkie, Feb 10 2005
  

       Could we replace the balls with cats with numbered buttered pieces of toast strapped to their backs, standing on the trapdoors? Then the cats would simultaneously have landed on their feet and not landed on their feet AND be dead/not dead. Could this be the basis of the Grand Unifying Theory?
What [pj] said [+]
AbsintheWithoutLeave, Feb 10 2005
  

       Absolutely brilliant [Absinthe] - thinking inside the box.
Flux, Feb 10 2005
  
      
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